June 28, 2017

Image credit: Sophie Dickinson

If you’re interested in student journalism – be that as a writer, illustrator, photographer, sub-editor, or something else entirely – this could be the opportunity for you. We’re looking for applications in all sections, for the upcoming term. If you have your own ideas about ways you could get involved, we’d also love to hear from you.

Many of these roles, especially for larger sections, ask for two or more editors, so feel free to apply with somebody else. Prior experience is helpful but in no way necessary: it’s more important that you’re enthusiastic and have something to offer the paper! If no single section takes your fancy, or if perhaps your creative talents lie more in management or multimedia, we’re also looking for Chief Sub-Editors, Social Media Managers, Image Editors, Staff Photographers, Web Developer (more information here) and Staff Illustrators.

Applicants for all roles are asked to write a personal statement of about 500 words, detailing your relevant experience and ideas for the content and style of the section you wish to edit, including three article ideas – or, for the more managerial roles, an outline of the strategies you would use.

All applications should be sent to editor@tcs.cam.ac.uk. Please include your name, college, year of study, and contact details in your application.

If you have any questions about how the paper works, the application process, or what any of the jobs entail, please do not hesitate to email the current Editor-in-Chief, Sophie Dickinson, at editor@tcs.cam.ac.uk.

Read on for a full list of the roles on offer, and details of their remit: we hope you’ll be inspired to join a team that’s as professional and engaging as it is fun and sociable!

You will set the paper's news agenda, decide which stories are the most important, and work with the news team to find original content and make national stories relevant to students. The tone and feel of the news section, the campaigns it runs, and political positions it takes are all entirely down to you. Consequently, the reputation of TCS rests in your hands. You will be in charge of a team of deputy news editors and hold a news meeting once a week to hand out stories to reporters. By keeping readers informed, you not only make sure the student body knows what is really going on, but also that people in charge know their decisions will be scrutinised, and they will be held to account for their mistakes.

Deputy News Editor

You will be one of a group of deputy news editors working under the news editor, and you will have one of the most exciting jobs on the paper. You will be assigned the best stories to write and encouraged to seek out your own.

Investigations Editor

You specialise in investigative journalism. It is your job to send off freedom of information requests as well as collate and edit the results. Investigations can change the very face of a University that sometimes can be a little lacking in media oversight, so if you want to change the world (or at least our little corner of it), this may well be the role for you.

Science Editor

If you're in touch with the science world, and passionate about bringing the latest developments in research and study to a wider audience, this is the role for you. You will have responsibility for sourcing research updates, comment, features, and interviews relevant to the latest news, and writing in a way that speaks to all readers – scientists or otherwise!

Comment Editor

As Comment Editor, you will have one of the most sought-after positions on the paper. How to beat the competition? Convince us that you can source witty, well-written articles on relevant topics. We want comment to be as fresh as possible, with a Cambridge/student edge. You should have a clear vision of what you want your section to contain from week to week - and the closer your subject matter is tied to the news section, the better.

Features Editor

In the new structure of the paper, this section offers a chance to explore Cambridge and the issues students are interested in, in a way that's topical, imaginative, and informative. One week you might be researching the history of Cambridge during World War 2, and the next you might be imagining a week in the life of one of Cambridge's more troubled college masters. The style of writing is quite reporting-based but with the scope for a more casual tone.

Interviews Editor

This has the potential to be one of the most rewarding positions on the paper: everyone likes talking to interesting people. As interviews editor, your job is to contact, research, and interview the most controversial, topical, and fascinating people who are visiting or linked to Cambridge. They can be politicians, musicians, comedians, authors - it doesn't matter what they do, as long as their stories will engage our readers. Who knows, this could be a chance to talk to your hero.

Columns Editor

Key to your job is finding columnists who can provide unique, engaging, and unmissable weekly insights on life in Cambridge and the universe. Editing this section allows you to foster individuals over a long period of time, working with them to develop their ideas from fresh-faced columnists to Cambridge institutions. If you are applying for the position of Columns Editor, please include in your application some ideas for columns, and ideas as to how to encourage people to apply to become columnists.

Sport Editor

Sport is one of the most-read sections of the paper. As sports editor, you will be in charge of covering all the biggest sporting events in Cambridge. The job isn't just about match reports, though. You will often have the opportunity to interview internationally successful sportspeople and commentators, and commission features and opinion pieces on any aspect of sports that you desire.

The Thursday Magazine team positions

Theatre Editor

Theatre is one of the most read and most controversial sections in the paper. The Cambridge theatre scene is notably big, so applications to handle this section jointly or to be a deputy theatre editor are encouraged. Complimentary tickets to all the Cambridge plays are a perk of the job, but with great power comes great responsibility: you need to be able to get copy in quickly, and organise a team of reviewers to make sure you have every stage in town covered. For Easter term, you will also be responsible for reviews of May Balls and other events in May Week.

Music Editor

You will get your hands on preview CDs sent to us by PR companies, and free tickets to gigs in Cambridge and London. Each week, you will work with our writers to gather album reviews, as well as arranging exciting interviews with your favourite artists, and sourcing top-notch music features. Basically, we're looking for anyone who can combine good writing with an insatiable love of music.

Film & TV Editor

You'll be expected to keep up to date with the latest film and tv gossip, and to find reviewers for the latest releases. Your job involves gathering new film reviews each week, as well as sourcing features, interviews and comment pieces. It helps if you have a wide range of viewing interests - our readers want to hear about the big blockbuster hits as well as indie/arthouse darlings. There is also scope for interviews with filmmakers and actors, and the chance to have a place on the red carpet at public and private film screenings and launches in London. iPlayer and 4od take up as much of most students' time these days as films or plays, so we want TCS to reflect that in its Film & TV section. You'll be expected to keep up to date with all the latest on the telly box, and to review new programs. There may be scope too for features on the hits of today and yesteryear.

Fashion & Beauty Editor

Are you an avid reader of Vogue, InStyle and i-D? Got an eye for the latest trends? Spotted some fashionistas at Fitz, or stylish students at Sidgwick whose fashion credentials deserve exposure? As fashion & beauty editor, you will be responsible for contributing and sourcing weekly reviews and opinion pieces, but we'll also be looking for fun, recurring features which resonate with Cambridge students. You'll also be expected to coordinate regular photoshoots that are quirky, engaging, and do something different from the norm – this can be especially fun in Easter term.

Food & Drink Editor

People in Cambridge are obsessed with many things - and their appetite for food and drink is one of them. We'll expect the food & drink editor to source recipes suitable for the basic student kitchen, local restaurant, cafe and pub reviews and features on all the culinary particularities which Cambridge has to offer.

Lifestyle Editor

You'll be charged with getting interesting and provoking material which grapples with people's very lives… this position is what you make of it; apply with ideas of recurring features which you think would engage Cambridge student readers. We're looking for someone creative who thinks outside of the box for content, and someone who can really cover the bases: the lifestyle section can include anything from cuddly pets, to Health & Fitness, to escapist coverage of travel and days out. It's one of the most diverse sections of the paper, and really gives you a chance to explore Cambridge life in all its richness!

Books Editor

Love books? Even the ones you don’t have to read for your degree? This is the job for you. You'll be working (a bit) over the holidays, sourcing reviews for new releases, and arranging interviews with writers visiting Cambridge next term. Cambridge is a real hub of literary activity, and as books editor you get to enjoy reviewing exciting events and readings, as well as writing features on whatever takes your fancy, and interviewing stars of the literary world

Chief Sub Editor

As Chief Sub Editor, you are responsible for making sure that all of our content is of the highest quality. A keen understanding of grammar and syntax as well as an eye for detail is absolutely vital. You will be personally responsible for checking all of our particularly big articles that are published over the course of the term. If you find the idea of a perfectly accurate and cogent article fundamentally satisfying, this is the role for you.

Staff Photographer

Throughout our paper, we need high quality photographs to tie in with key news articles, Cambridge features, interviews and more. As Staff Photographer, you would be responsible for covering emerging stories, and sourcing pictures for regular features from a range of sections. Whatever your interest – news, portraiture, food, nature, still life – if you’re a keen photographer, and want to see your pictures reach a wider audience, this is the role for you.

Staff Illustrator

Are you a budding illustrator? Know how to handle a paintbrush? Use watercolours or collage to escape the stress of Cambridge? If you want a creative and exciting role that sees your artwork reach a wider audience, Staff Illustrator could be the role for you. You'd work closely with the rest of the team to create stand-alone visual content, images for articles, as well as doodles to illustrate themes. This is a section you can take in a lot of directions, giving you a platform to experiment.

Social Media Manager

In an online term, social media is absolutely vital for the paper. There is no point making high-quality content if no-one ever reads it. We are looking for someone with the charisma and creativity to consistently draw attention, as well as innovative ideas that will help us reach our readers. If you can see yourself writing a Facebook post that reaches thousands, keeping our Twitter updated, and even developing our Instagram account, send an application our way!

Web Developer

If you are interested in developing a new online prescense for the paper, and have the technical knowledge to create and design a new fully functioning website for the paper, then please consider applying to be part of a new exciting project regarding the TCS website relaunch.